Control Shift · Construction systems
Build a controlled bill of quantities workflow from the first tender issue to the awarded project budget. Control Shift develops BOQ management software for estimators and quantity surveyors who need consistent item codes, units, rates and revision history across UAE construction projects.
For estimating teams, quantity surveyors, main contractors and specialist subcontractors preparing or reviewing tender quantities.
Register the source
Traceable tender document set
Structure the items
Reviewed BOQ register
Build and approve rates
Approved estimate revision
Hand over the award
Controlled project budget baseline
Proposed workflow. Final roles, records and approvals are agreed during discovery.
A revised drawing, a changed unit or an excluded scope item can alter an estimate even when the spreadsheet total looks reasonable. Construction quantity software needs source references and review states as well as arithmetic. A BOQ register organises measured items; quantity takeoff derives measurements from drawings or models and must be scoped separately.
Import agreed Excel or CSV layouts into sections, work packages and stable item IDs. Preserve descriptions, units, quantities, provisional allowances and exclusions. Flag missing units, duplicate references and unpriced items for estimator review.
Build rates from materials, labour, equipment and subcontract inputs. Version rate sources, effective dates, wastage assumptions, preliminaries and markups so a reviewer can understand how each tender amount was assembled.
Compare issued revisions by item identity and scope. Show added, removed and changed quantities, rates or descriptions. Preserve the earlier issue and require a reviewer to approve the revision used for submission or internal budgeting.
Freeze the accepted tender issue and map its work packages to project cost codes. Keep commercial selling rates distinct from internal cost allowances. Carry approved scope, quantities and references into procurement and cost control.
Each handover has an owner, a required input and a recorded outcome. We define the exceptions alongside the normal process.
Document controller
Record tender issue, drawing or schedule references and the received revision.
Output: Traceable tender document set
Estimator or QS
Check units, quantities, scope boundaries and missing or provisional items.
Output: Reviewed BOQ register
Estimator + commercial reviewer
Apply rate sources and review changes against the previous tender issue.
Output: Approved estimate revision
Commercial + project controls
Map the awarded scope to cost codes and distinguish cost from selling values.
Output: Controlled project budget baseline
Illustrative workflow example
Illustrative partition item, measured in square metres. This demonstrates quantity review, not a measured project or market rate.
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| Field | Tender issue A | Tender issue B |
|---|---|---|
| Item reference | FIN-042 | FIN-042 |
| Description | Partition package, zone 2 | Partition package, zone 2 |
| Unit | m² | m² |
| Quantity | 120 | 138 |
| Drawing reference | A-201 revision 02 | A-201 revision 03 |
| Review state | Previous approved baseline | Quantity change awaiting QS review |
The 18 m² difference does not authorise a purchase or a contract variation. The reviewer checks measurement rules, exclusions and the source revision before approving downstream changes.
BIM integration can map authorised model exports or available APIs to BOQ references, locations and model-element IDs. Confirm file formats, model quality, licensing and measurement rules first. Model quantities and extracted schedules remain reviewable inputs; an import should never silently replace an approved BOQ.
Hand over approved BOQs to construction cost controlExtract candidate rows from permitted PDF or scanned schedules, retaining document, page and revision references. Mark uncertain units and merged cells for review and compare corrected output with a representative sample. AI extraction is different from reliable drawing measurement; final quantities, rates and tender submissions remain with qualified staff.
Explore document extraction and review workflowsScope depends on document formats, rate-library complexity, revision matching, drawing or BIM requirements and the amount of historical data. A structured BOQ register can be delivered before PDF extraction or model integration. Include review effort and document-processing usage in the operating budget.
Discovery produces a workflow and data map, a prototype, an integration plan and an itemised delivery scope. Validate a trial migration and pilot with the people who use the system. Agree access roles, backups, deployment responsibilities, source-code handover, third-party licences and support terms before rollout.
Control Shift serves project teams in Dubai and across the UAE. Your project locations, languages and existing systems determine the rollout plan. Where a packaged platform already meets the requirement, configuration or a focused integration may be the appropriate scope.
Construction software development
A focused application can share project references, access rules and approved records with your wider system.
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Explore the workflowNo. BOQ management organises items, units, quantities, rates and revisions. Quantity takeoff measures work from drawings or models. A project can include both, but drawing formats, measurement rules and validation responsibilities need their own scope.
Yes. We start with representative files to map sections, formulas, units, descriptions and item references. Merged cells, inconsistent codes and missing quantities need review. Import and export totals are checked against agreed samples before rollout.
AI or document-processing tools can prepare candidate rows from supported PDFs and scans. Preserve page references and send unclear quantities, units and table structures to an estimator. Accuracy must be measured on your document set; no extraction output should become a final tender without review.
It can be scoped around available APIs or authorised model exports. Agree element IDs, location mapping, revision rules and licensing first. The integration should preserve evidence and flag changes for review instead of assuming all model quantities are suitable for commercial use.
Only an approved workflow should change a controlled budget. Keep document changes, measured quantities, commercial variations and authorised budget revisions as distinct states, linked by references and reviewer history.
Tell us where work gets delayed, which systems you use and what a useful first release needs to achieve. Start with a process description; anonymised sample records can be reviewed during discovery.
We will map requirements, clarify integration access and prepare a phased proposal for boq software development.
